Grieve Me
by bcdeltoro45
Summary: Tadashi grieved - every since the death of his beloved parents, he grieved. Too bad nobody noticed...until they met Hiro.
1. The Boy Named Hiro

**Chapter 1:  
** **The Boy Named Hiro.**

 _ **'Let him grieve,'**_ they told her. _**'All children needs to grieve in their own way and they all grieve differently.'**_ Cass wasn't an expert on parenting: the closest thing thing to a child she had her cafe. She wasn't a therapist either so she felt there was no choice than to listen to the professionals.

But the child never grieved.  
That was just it.

Her young nephew experienced a horrible tragedy...him and his young brother. The boy had every right to grieve but he didn't. The accident changed her nephew but not in the way she's changed.

Tadashi never went through a bout of depression. Cass never heard a sniffle nor seen so much as a tear cascade down his face. Tadashi smiled, despite the pain, and he took life as it is. Placing one foot in front of the other - often he was the one who comforted his aunt when the pain overwhelmed her while helping her run the cafe when he wasn't in school.

He was an angel, aunt Cass believed, but deep in her heart, she couldn't shake a twinge of doubt, especially when 'he' was around. Maybe she had a 'mother's intuition' after all in her genetics.

Tadashi didn't grieve...he was ok.

Even if it meant, his hobby, made him ok.

So she listened to the professionals and let her Tadashi be. He was a strong boy after all and deserved whatever his heart desired, even if it was driving her crazy. She shouldn't worry over nothing, right?

That did nothing to ease her mind as she watched Tadashi's 'brother' make his way up the stairs, casting her an apologetic glance with his round brown eyes that resembled her sister's. The aunt doubted if the kid felt any remorse at all for what he's done.

"I should really buy books on parenting." Mumbling, the woman turned to her sweet display for some comfort. Grabbing a chocolate doughnut, Cass motioned for her older nephew to approach. Making sure, the younger Hamada was out of earshot, Cass implored, "Couldn't you have programed him to dislike bot fighting?" Biting the sweet violently, she raged, "This is the fourth time I had to bail you Tadashi and it's not changing! Look at me -" She gestured to the sugary sweet, "Stress eating and this is really good!"

"I'm really sorry aunt Cass." Truly, the eighteen year old was sorry for putting stress on his beloved aunt. "He's in a phase right now, is all." Tadashi admitted, "I'll think of something, promise."

"Why don't you just 'adjust' him, Tadashi?" This conversation has been going on forever and like his dear aunt, the bright college student was equally tired. He was tired of having this debate with her about Hiro. He did his best to avoid these touchy conversations and he'll continue to do so to the end of time.

Shrugging a bit, Tadashi replied, "If I do that, aunt Cass, then he wouldn't be Hiro in there." Before his aunt could argue, he pecked her on the cheek, adding "I will do something about it. Love you aunt Cass."

"Love you as well." it was tiny, tainted with shades of sadness, but it was enough for Tadashi as he ascended up the stairs.

The young man rubbed his neck, unsure of a plan at this point. Hiro's been sneaking out, almost every night, bot fighting. He's only been caught four times. _Perhaps this is his rebellious age?_ Tadashi wondered, silently planning that if so, he'll have to make some adjustment and soon. First, he needed a way to get Hiro out of chasing money and thrills.

"You owe aunt Cass big time." He attempted to sound authoritative but failed the moment his eyes fell on young Hiro. The boy merely 'yup' at their computer as he typed away. Feeling his irritation fading fast (it could never last long with Hiro), the older Hamada tried, "I'm serious, before she eats the whole cafe."

Not sounding the least bit sorry, Hiro hummed, "Uh - huh" fully enthralled by the screen.

"Are you even listening to me?" Tadashi drew closer, annoyed at how weak he was towards his younger brother.

At that, said culprit turned on his swivel chair; a fake obedient look painted on. "Absolutely."

A closer inspection of the screen told the older brother otherwise. "You're going bot fighting again?" _Does this kid understand the meaning of illegal activities?!_ "When are you going to put that big brain of you to good use?" He asked, after listening to his younger brother's rave about a fight across town.

Hiro was smart - a genius to be exact who didn't have to struggle to get by in middle or high school and don't get Tadashi started on his brother's knack for technology! With a brain like Hiro Hamada's, the future was full of opportunities. _Doesn't he understand the good, he could do with that brain of his?_

"Like what? Go to college, like you? So people can tell me stuff I already know?" Nonchalantly, the younger boy shrugged.

 _You'll be more productive there than at some dark alleyways, with thugs who don't take kindly to losing. I will he would join my college -_ That was it. That was an opening to the doors Tadashi was searching for.

Quickly, he grabbed the opportunity before it passed him by. Picking up his trusted moped helmet, he threw it at his uncaring brother. "I'll take you." Smiling to avoid suspicion from his intelligent brother, Tadashi reasoned, "I can't stop you from going, but I'm not going to let you go on your own."

Fortunately for the older teen, Hiro's trust for him was higher than he admitted. "Sweet."

The boys snuck out, one without a care in the world and the other, praying to God for this plan to work. If it did, then Hiro may learn to see the world more caringly, than he did his bot fights. _God, please let this work._

Hiro was too trusting and he realized that downfall too late as his brother parked in front of the college he attended. He eyed his older brother descend from the moped, a bit too jolly for his liking. Irritatedly, because he had a fight to get to, he questioned, "What are we doing at your new school? Bot's fight that way!"

"Gotta grab something." Reluctantly, the younger Hamada followed his brother up the steps, unaware of the change that was brewing ahead. Trudging down some halls, the two quipped at each other, good naturedly but in Hiro's mind, he didn't want to be anywhere near this place.

He loved his brother but there was a reason he graduated high school at the age of thirteen. If his old schools were any indication, then college wouldn't be any different. It all will be boring! Hiro had a brain, and it came in handy to making money and friends, but he understood too much in a short period of time.

He'll figure out everything before the semester even ends because all teachers do is talk about books and many times, they don't understand they lessons they teach! Hiro disliked sitting, not being able to create and get his hands dirty. He didn't enjoy the envy of his classmates or their bullying...everyone just yapping on and on.

The kid rather create beautiful robots - they were more nicer than the humans. It made him feel safer, more comforted being near robots than other people, aside from his brother of course.

Secretly, Hiro wished to be more like his older brother, Tadashi. The older one may not be a genius like him, but he was determined, strong willed, and his ideas was nothing short of revolutionary. Tadashi had a heart that looked at the good in others and for the good of others. All hiro, himself, could see was his own shadow...any other human that wasn't Tadashi, was merely wandering in the darkness of said shadow.

"Is this going to take long?" Hiro whined.

Tadashi rolled his eyes. "Relax, you big baby. We'll be in and out." They approached a door, that Hiro assumed was a classroom of some sort. "Anyway, you never seen my lab."

Sarcastically, Hiro quipped, "Oh, great, I get to see your nerd lab!" He thought it would be a classroom, cold, and unfeeling but as the doors opened, a whole new world welcomed the lad. His brother's lab wasn't what he expected; it was chaotic but beautifully so. Not even a crazy fast cyclist could ruin that awe in him.

It was just the beginning as Tadashi began introducing him to everyone here. He met Go Go who worked on revolutionizing transportation with her electromag suspension. Next was Wasabi who he learned was major orderly and OCD but created some cool laser induced plasma that cut an apple in extremely thin sheets. Then came Honey Lemon who lived up to the Honey part and was a brilliant chemist who didn't mind causing a mess with her chemicals.

If Hiro's pride allowed it, he would be jumping over the moon with joy. This college certainly wasn't anything Hiro believed it would be. It was certainly different than Hiro's experiences with school, especially the people. Given, these people were much older than his old classmates, and intelligent, so bullying probably wasn't in their vocabulary.

How refreshing but one thing didn't add up. "Honey Lemon? Go go? Wasabi?" Hiro chuckled a bit as the man called Wasabi whined about spilling wasabi on his shirt once. "Who came up with these names?"

"Fred is the one who comes up with the nicknames."

"Who's Fred?" On the side of his, a lizard thing answered, scaring Hiro more than he'd admit.

"This guy, right here!" Opening up the mouth, an unkempt hippie looking man popped out. "Don't be alarmed. It is just a suit. This is not my real face and body." He said, going back in and offering his hand to shake Hiro's. "The name's Fred."

On the ironic side of life, Fred was probably Hiro's favorite out of his brother's friends because he was **normal**. On inquiring his major, Hiro learned that Fred didn't go to this school as a student. He was the mascot and self proclaimed science enthusiast but that just meant he begged his friends to make him science fiction toys, and an invisible sandwich. The blonde man would be great to hang out with, maybe even teach Hiro to be a proper kid as well.

Overall, Hiro found himself liking the very place he vehemently teased his brother for. The older brother, of course, was over the moon by Hiro's genuine like towards his friends but that wasn't what he came for.

It was a pleasant bonus.

"Come this way." Hooked, Hiro obeyed, following Tadashi into a new room. It was Tadashi's personal lab. There were gizmos scattered around and a giant holographic computer on one side, begging for Hiro to use. Straight ahead, stood a giant window that resembled a pokeball. It was precious, much more space for experiments than what Hiro had back home.

"So, what have you been working on?"

"I'll show you." It was a weird to watch his brother take his arm but Hiro allowed it. He let Tadashi place duck tape on him, joking with the older one that the tape already been invented, until his 'dear' brother ripped it off. "Hey, dude! Ow!" he gritted, hastily snatching his arms back from the cruel fiend.

That was all it took.

From a red box that sat below the window, a white marshmallow of a man emerged. The brothers watched as this humanoid robot walked up to them; moving a swivel chair out the way and squeaking due to his legs rubbing together. "Hello, I am Baymax." It said, blinking down at Hiro. "Your personal, healthcare companion. I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said 'Ow."

"A robotic..nurse?" Every bone in Hiro's brimmed with pride in his brother but he wouldn't give Tadashi the satisfaction of admitting that at first. He tested the robot on its health knowledge,

seeing if its scanners were proper, and checking the internal designs. "You've done some serious coding on this thing, huh?"

The hamads brother conversed about baymax for a couple seconds before being interrupted by a third party. "Burning the midnight oil, Mr. Hamada?"

"Hey, professor." Professor Callaghan was a prominent figure in robotics - a driving force that transformed culture. He also was the man Tadashi respected immensely and Hiro looked up to for his work.

That night, Hiro learned two things from Robert Callaghan. The first was that his brother talked way too much about him with people and the second was that the legend before him, knew the young boy's desire. His school wasn't a place for boring books - it was a place where people could build and push the boundaries of robotics. It was a dream...and why was Hiro wasting his skills on easy game like bot fights?!

"We got to hurry if you want to catch that bot fight?" Those words fell on deaf ears as Hiro looked back at the school - a longing in his heart, he never realized he had until now.

"I have to go here." If he went to this school, maybe Hiro would stop floating in life...maybe he could become someone like his older brother. Maybe this can help him feel - give him purpose maybe? Desperately, he looked to his brother. "If I don't go to this nerd school, I'm gonna lose my mind! How do I get in?"

 _It worked!_ Relieved, Tadashi thanked God that his planned worked. _Maybe now Hiro can put that nogan to good use. Who knows? Maybe my little brother would invent something that would impact the world._

Only God knows what the future would bring.

Tonight, that future looked bright for the Hamadas brothers as they drove away from San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Both remained unaware of the man that watched them from the comfort of his own office.

Walking away from his window, Callaghan pondered, "Tadashi's brother, hm?" Sitting at his desk, he verbally activated his computer. "Look up 'Hamada. Tadashi' personal file." His student's file was a simple one. Age 18; attends school, parents deceased, etc. It didn't mention any siblings… "Computer, look up 'Hamada Hiro.'"

There was no record on the kid, just a brief newspaper clipping. "Hiro Hamada, age four and in critical condition." That was ten years ago and the rest was locked away by Christ hospital database. The professor didn't want to risk hacking, in case it ruined his plans but that was ok.

Callaghan gathered enough information and he'll use it to his advantage. He knew Tadashi was a brilliant student - one of his best - but he didn't think he could be so clever as to invent such a realistic thing like Hiro. Then giving the robot, higher intelligence, yet keeping it in the dark about itself. "Mr. Hamada, do you realize the kind of power you've just given me?" Callaghan smiled, shutting his technology down before walking out of the room.

The wind of change was coming and it was coming to uproot everyone in its path - especially the boy named Hiro.


	2. Transmitter

**Hello Everyone!  
First off, thank you all who liked, favorite, followed, and left a review! It means a lot that you enjoyed this story so far. Sorry for the late posting...(o_o) and thanks for bearing with me.**

 **God bless you all and please, enjoy.**

* * *

"Micro-bots!" Hiro's mind raced with excitement as he revealed his idea with his brother and newfound friends. It took him a long time to think up the micro-bots.

Originally the young genius assumed that dreaming up an outstanding inventions that would blow Callaghan away would be child's play. That ended up days glued to his desk, desperately banging his head on the wood in hopes that something would come up. In the end, he ended with a slight knot on his forehead, but an idea did come – thanks to his brother.

If it wasn't for Tadashi physically pushing him to find a new angle (carrying him like a sac), Hiro wouldn't have eyed his champion robot – thus inspiring him.

"Just think of the endless opportunities with these babies!" The gang sat around a table, listening to their youngest member. "Transportation, safety, architecture – the list can go on!"

Tadashi was proud of his little brother. It made his heart swell with joy, seeing his brother take an interest in people and nerd out, like a normal kid. Unfortunately, that joy came to a halt as his brother talked on.

"With a neuro-transmitter, I can control all the micro-bots to do what I want. The creativity of the mind would literally set the limits for what this invention can do."

"You'll be like Dr. Otto Octavius!" Childishly Fred jumped up, running up to Hiro. The gang knew what would entail. Their comic – loving was in one of those fanboy mode.

Hiro was different so his curiosity won him over. There was no time to warn him. "Who's Dr. Octavius?"

Dramatically, Fred paced around the child as he recalled the tragic tale. "Dr. Otto Octavius was an intelligent scientist who made an incredible device. His invention was four robotic limps with artificial intelligence that also had a thing that connected to his brain. It was injected into his neck but due to a nuclear meltdown of another invention, the brain device destabilized, taking control of him instead." Pulling his young friend's head in a tight hug, he sniffed, sadden by the tale. "In the end, the man died. He took back control from the robotics arms and he sacrificed himself to save the town. His last words were 'I will not die a monster.' I can lend you the movie, if you want."

Hiro laughed while the gang rolled their eyes at their Fred. However, it took all of Tadashi's will power to keep his relaxed smile on his face. On the inside, the older Hamada was having a meltdown of his own.

 _'If Hiro connects a transmitter, it might intervene with - '_ Tadashi gulped, not wanting to continue those dark thoughts. All he knew was that he'll do anything to stop Hiro from using that transmitter on himself. It would jeopardize everything.

And so began a week of Hiro's annoyance.

It started out harmless enough with Tadashi, once in a while, popping in the garage where Hiro worked and hinting at helping with anything Hiro may need. From there, it got specific with the transmitter and climbed to an all-out plaque on Hiro's sanity.

His brother would bring it up constantly, suggesting that he should wear the device Hiro spent hours working so hard on. The older teen brought it up during dinner, in the morning, late at night...his brother even went as far as to harass the kid in the bathroom.

If that wasn't stressful enough for our young lad, Hiro had a week left to complete his project for the showcase and the transmitter didn't want to cooperate!

"I don't get it!" Hiro snapped, throwing the device to the floor. At this point, he didn't care if the thing broke. Usually, the garage was Hiro's favorite place - his little workshop, but with the stress, it felt more like his little cage. Grumbling for the fifth time that day, Hiro roughly grabbed his hair, pulling. "I redid the wiring - tinkered with the controls and studied the brain!" _So where am I going wrong?_

He groaned. _No matter what I try, the thing isn't controlling the bots how I want. Maybe it's my brain that isn't working._  
It was a bitter thought.

"Maybe you need someone else to use the transmitter." _And here we go again_. Tadashi smiled at the eyeroll, his brother gave me. It upset Hiro to see his brother constantly smiling and calm. Absently, he wondered if anything bothered his big brother but that simmered down in favor of weariness.

He was tired of the harassment...dashi was persistent despite his kindness. He just wouldn't give this issue a break! "Are you scared or something?!"

It was meant to be a sarcastic question that Hiro didn't expect a reply. So it surprised him when his brother returned it with an open answer. "I'm worried for you Hiro."

Looking at his kid brother, Tadashi battled with himself. Seeing his brother bothered with the brain transmitter - it made the older teen sad. He knew why the device refused to work. Hiro was the reason...his brain wasn't in that body. It was his conscious that was trapped there.

And Tadashi's conscious probed at him to tell Hiro the truth but the older brother couldn't allow that. He fought tooth and nail to give his brother a new life…battled with his aunt and those skeptic doctors.

How can Tadashi let all that go to waste?  
How can he let Hiro down like that?

He did it for Hiro!

In his mind's eye, dashi saw four year old Hiro. So small in that giant, cold hospital bed - his body broken by the accident. The child couldn't even breathe on his own anymore. His parents were gone - went to heaven early. Yet Hiro was experiencing hell but all dashi could recall that night before things went south was those three words he spat at his brother.

 _ **"I hate you."**_

Tadashi spent his whole life after that, trying to right his wrong. If he told Hiro the truth now...then all he's worked for would be a waste.

Then Hiro wouldn't be Hiro anymore.

So he lied to his precious brother, like he did when his creation finally worked. He smiled a sincere smile and lied. "You've been stressing over the showcase and I get it - it is a big deal, since professor Callaghan isn't easy to impress." He ruffled the realistic black hair of his brother. "I just remembered my first presentation and I nearly made it so I just thought it'll be great if I could help you demonstrate your work - just like I wish someone would have with me."

He waited, holding his breath.

Eyeing the older one, Hiro processed what was said. His brother was crazy protective, that he knew, but his brother also wasn't a liar. Hiro trusted Tadashi and he couldn't count the times his brother had helped him out of something or through something…there was too many to count.

His brother never gives up on him so it seemed like common sense to trust him. Mauling it over, the young boy relented. "I am a little stressed...maybe having you wear the transmitter would lighten the burden." Shaking off any doubts, Hiro returned his brother's smile with a weak one of his own. "But we have a lot of practicing to do and I need to fix that transmitter."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tadashi fist bumped Hiro.  
Picking up the transmitter, the older Hamada encouraged, "Let's blow them all away."


	3. Harsh Wake Up Call

**Sorry about the late postings. Things been a bit hectic. Please enjoy this chapter and another thing: if you're in chicago, my church is doing a play for Easter. if you want to check it out, then cool. if not, then just read the story and enjoy!**

 **Big Hero 6 is not mine, if it was, a lot of scenarios would be going down here, you know?**

If you asked Hiro how he pictured his college debut, he would have given his signature smirk and told you it would be "a piece of cake." At least, that was what he told the gang, but innerly, the poor boy was gittery. Strolling past the competition, Hiro felt small and out of place. It was an insecurity that he couldn't quite adapt to no matter how many years he has had to deal with it, so he pressed it down.

Out of sight but never quite out of mind. So for now, he'll focus on the task at hand. He wanted into this school. He wanted to find purpose in his life -

Something that always eluded him.

With that desire, formed deep doubts, like 'what if Callaghan isn't impressed? What if I mess up? What if my zipper is open through the whole thing?' At the last thought, Hiro forced himself to not look down. How uncool would it be if someone caught him looking at his zipper?

Despite the gang's best attempt to ease him, his gitters still stuck. Now he faced the crowd, on stage, feeling bare before their eyes. "Hello." the microphone screeched, causing his anxiety to rise. Hastily, he apologized.

'What do I do?' it was a quiet prayer to God to send something to swallow him, anything.

Eyeing his brother, who stood beside him, he begged for any profound advice. Tadashi smiled at Hiro, gesturing for the kid to breath and proceed. The headband sat cozily on Dashi's head, awaiting for orders of its own.

Following the other's advice, the young Hamada began anew. Voice shaking, he pressed on. "My project is about microbots." Taking one out of his pocket, he presented it to the crowd, ignoring their unimpressed look. "It may seem small but add it to the rest of its friends and things become interesting."

That was Tadashi's cue: as Hiro spoke, a hoard of microbots unleashed themselves from the bins the gang rolled in. Slithering to the platform where the hamadas stood, they began their act. The audience watched the bots morph into one as Hiro became more confident with his presentation.

Tadashi flawlessly executed his part with building a miniature tower underneath his brother and even transporting the boy upside down from the ceiling. He laughed as Hiro high fived a robotic hand he passed by. At the end of their performance, the brothers bowed politely, dashi making the bots do the same.

The whole room erupted in applause, making Hiro light on the inside. Usually his creations causes mischief but today, people actually liked his work. It felt good but what really highlighted his evening was being approached by the owner of the biggest tech company in the world - Alistair Krei.

As a businessman, whose heart was a bottomless piggy bank, Alistair's search for talent never ceased, and poor Hiro screamed of gold.

At least, Hiro's invention did.

However, he wasn't the only one looking at Hiro. Overhearing Krei's proposal to buy the microbots, Callaghan intervened. Inviting himself into the conversation, the professor commented; "Krie's right. Your microbots are an inspired piece of tech." He praised before adding. "You can continue to develop them or you can sell them to a man who is only guided by his self interest." He didn't try to hide his disdain towards the end.

"Robert - I know how you feel about me..." Alistair tried, only to be ignored while Hiro looked between the two, confused about the subtle fight he was witnessing.

Cutting Krei off, Callaghan urged Hiro to pick a side, stealthy manipulating him by throwing in Krie's unorthodox reputation. "It's your choice Hiro but you should know that Mr. Krei has cut corners and ignored sound science to get where he is."

"That's just not true." Krie tried to defend himself. He could see Hiro losing interest in his offer as the boy hung on Callaghan's words.

It only worsened as Callaghan added "I wouldn't trust Krei Tech with your microbots...or anything else." At that, the professor threw Krei a hateful glare.

It was Hiro's choice.

A choice where one could open doors to places faster than the young boy could run through. Yet, as tempting as it was, Callaghan's warning brought up some concerns. Hiro liked science and being a genius; these were gifts God blessed him with. It also helped him make lots of money on the side...until the cops took it away.

His work was something special, a transition of sort in the boy's life. A start of a new beginning where his work would be doing good for once. So would selling his latest work be prostituting the gifts he was given and for money that would fade away?

'How would Tadashi answer this?' he pondered, even though his brother was still beside him, watching the whole thing take place. Weighing the options, Hiro decided. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Krei, but they're not for sale."

That wasn't what the rich man wanted to hear but there wasn't much he could do about it except make his exist. Tadashi kept his eye on the man, from the moment Krie asked his little brother to see the microbot. As Krie began walking away, dashi stopped him. "That's my brother's." He pointed to the Microsoft in Krie's hand.

Anybody suspicious to his professor was suspicious to him.

Once out of earshot, Callaghan bestowed his acceptance letter to Hiro, commenting, "I look forward to seeing you in class." before walking away himself.

It was a dream shared by two, binding one to the other. If only one saw what was going through the other's mind, maybe the rabbit hole could have been avoided.

In this moment in time, all Hiro knew was that he made it into the school. He could be anything he wanted, push boundaries pass the ceaseless sky, and work alongside his brother.

It brought him back to good times. The youthful days where Tadashi and he built robots together, coming up with many ideas and their uses. He couldn't recall much of the stuff they made in the past - he was so little after all, but he remembered how much fun he had with his niichan. How well they worked as a team.

It was almost unreal to the boy. Most brothers fought and picked on one another but not them. Hiro literally terrorized his older brother growing up, yet, said sibling never lost his temper. Dashi always dotted on the kid.

Pushing those nagging memories aside for the time being, Hiro basked in the sweetness of twilight. Celebrating his newfound niche, Hiro was certain this was a dream but as night ends, morning comes, bringing with it a harsh wake up call.

As the gang headed for aunt Cass's cafe, the brothers stayed behind, Tadashi wishing to share a private moment with his dear brother. That moment was short lived as a fire broke out in the building, tricking off the alarm systems.

Hearing screams, urgently, Tadashi ran to the institute with Hiro in tow. Helping the nearest person, he questioned "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," The girl assured, coughing a bit, and pointing to the school. "But I think professor Callaghan is still in there."

Having a heart like Tadashi's sometimes came with its downfall. As much as Hiro admired the older boy, he wished sometimes dashi would check with his head first before following his heart. That wish amplified as Hiro tried to stop his brother from running in the flaming building.

But Tadashi wouldn't listen.

"Someone has to help."

'Why does that have to be you?' Maybe it was selfish of Hiro to think that. To want his brother safe...to want someone else to pick up the responsibility so his brother wouldn't have to.

Unable to shake the awful images of an exploding building, and the firefighters finding Tadashi's burnt remains - Hiro did what his brain screamed not to do.

He ran after the older one, screaming at the top of his lungs "Tadashi! Tadashi!" over the sounds of the fire alarms. Frantically, he searched, his mind conjuring up darker scenarios after another, adding to the fear already pounding his guts. The lad didn't notice how easy he could breathe in the inferno or how the heat bothered him none. Hiro's mind was focused solely on his brother.

"Tadashi, where are you?" At that, flaming wood fell from the ceiling, forcing Hiro to jump back. One last time, he called, begging, "Tadashi, answer me if you can hear me!"

"Hiro." It was a cough - like noise, but it was all Hiro needed. He dashed towards the voice, overjoyed when he saw his brother ok. However, Tadashi was losing oxygen fast and his professor still was nowhere in sight.

His little brother pulled his arm, desperate to get him out into the fresh air. With his mind becoming fuzzy, Tadashi had no strength to argue so he allowed the pull to guide him.

They made it in the nick of time. As soon as they were out and a couple feet away, the building finally collapsed. Firefighters were now at the scene, doing their best to hose down remaining flames. They took Tadashi from Hiro, assuring the kid that the older boy would be alright.

Hiro thanked God that his brother was alright...that they both survived and now, the danger was over. Silently, he prayed that God would protect his brother, that the lack of air didn't cause serious damage to that brilliant mind. He also hoped Tadashi wouldn't be angry with him for stopping him from finding the professor.

There was no need to worry about the second part as said professor came up from behind the kid. "What happened?" the horror on his face mirrored hiro's as his eyes roamed what use to be part of the school.

Not knowing what to tell the teacher, Hiro simply stated, "A fire broke out."

"And Tadashi?" Hiro heart sank a little, "Was he in the building when it happened?"

Hiro shook his head. "We thought you were still inside, so Tadashi ran in to get you." Part of him was now angry, blaming that girl for saying Callaghan was in the building. If she never said that, then his brother wouldn't have to go to the hospital.

"I'm sorry, hiro." Callaghan offered, placing a hand in the teen's shoulder's and giving it a firm squeeze. Things were working his way - much better than he planned as Callaghan secretly inserted a virus in Hiro. He had discovered that the replica couldn't actually feel what he couldn't see. So if he saw a squeeze, then it was nothing more to it.

Clueless to the other's plans, Hiro shrugged off the hand. It's not that he wasn't grateful for the professor's kindness. It just made no sense for the teacher to apologize to him. "Thanks, but you didn't start the fire."


	4. Night Glitches

_**Grieve Me: Chapter 4 – Night Glitches.**_

' _Cold_ ' Hiro thought, looking around at the blackness. He hadn't a clue where he was and why the blackness around him didn't dim, despite staring at it for a couple minutes. His eyes should have adjusted to the darkness but where he was, light didn't penetrate, and the coldness didn't make it any more bearable.

He thought back to the last memory he had; the one before this weird abyss took over. He was home, he pictured it, playing with his toy robot.

' _That can't be right_.' He thought, _'I don't have a toy robot. Why would I, if I make real ones?'_ But as the thought flashed by, the darkness vanished, leaving the young teen in the middle of a living room. "Whoa."

The place was nothing like Aunt Cass home; it was spacious and a bit luxurious with leather couches and a flat screen tv. There was a huge bookshelf off to the side, its books looking like its been put to good use. The walls were an earthy green with white sides, giving the room a studious yet soft vibe to be in. Hiro enjoyed the place. If he wasn't concerned with the situation before him, Hiro would have sat on the couch and cozied up with the book of robotics he eyed laying on the table.

"Sophisticated." He whistled to himself. "Wonder where I am?"

" **I told you not to touch it!** " Rearing his head to that yell, Hero jaw dropped in disbelief. " **I could have figured it out myself.** " A kid _Tadashi_ stood, shaking in raw fury at a younger Hiro.

Hiro watched, bewildered by the genuine frown Tadashi wore. Maybe it was a dream, but it was still a shock to see his brother show anything other than a cheerful smile.

' _But why is he so angry at the kid..uh…me?'_ Now it was starting to feel like the twilight zone.

His younger self held onto a little robot that the older Hiro guessed was what all the fuss was about. Little Hiro had tears in his eyes as he tried to apologize to his niisan. **_"you twuggle so hard…I wanted to help."_ **A painful hiccup shook his tiny body. **_"I'm sowwy."_**

" **Stop** **trying** **to** **help** **me!** " The older vented, snatching the toy out the other's hand. " **You know how much pressure is on me because of you?! You don't have teachers expecting me to do better because you "help" me with my homework and you don't have to deal with mom and dad's looks because I'm not as smart as you! You have no clue what burden I have to carry, hiro, so just go away!** "

It was silent except for the cries of the younger Hiro.

Those words stabbed the older Hiro, hearing such harsh things from his brother but it was nothing compared to the last murmur to escape Tadashi's lips. " **I hate you**."

Next the twelve yer old knew was the floor breaking beneath him and Hiro found himself slipping into nothingness.  
That's when he woke up, jolting out of that nightmare.

Dazed, the genius slipped over his own feet and fell to the ground. "What?" It took him a moment to realize he was awake, looking around to find that room again. His disappointment morphed into confusion as the boy found himself sprawled on cemented ground, in front of an abandoned building.

Everything stood dead silent as Hiro's mind attempted to make sense of things. How did he get there and why at this building? Hiro's been around this street before, during one of his secret bot fights, but he never slept walk here before. It worried Hiro because this wasn't the first he caught himself in a place he wasn't supposed to be.

It started a month after the fire.

Tadashi had to spend two weeks in the hospital, being watched and taken care of any injuries he sustained. This left Hiro alone with their aunt Cass in their café/apartment. A day after, Hiro would go to sleep and then jolt awake in various rooms of the house. It began with awakening outside his room door, then it was the living room, the kitchen, the café, then the café entrance; It was almost like Hiro's body wanted to go somewhere…like it had a mind of its own.

But Hiro thought that was ridiculous.  
Sleepwalkers didn't walk with purpose…they just wondered around.

So why couldn't he shake the feeling that there was a purpose for all this sleepwalking? Staring up at the building, the boy pondered these things, before getting up to leave. He intended to go to the main road and walk home, but his body went the opposite way, opting to get into the building.

He wanted to stop, he really did, but his body wouldn't listen. It marched to the metals doors and his arms lifted themselves to push them open, but the doors were locked. ' _Come_ _on!_ ' Hiro screamed internally, frightened by the lack of control he had.

His arms pushed the door harder, before finally pulling their owner back and then slamming themselves full force into the door. Hiro struggled to comprehend what was happening as he watched his arms break through the pure metal and rip every chain off like it was simply string. At this point, he couldn't say anything as his body broke into the place and walked him inside.

Normally, Hiro wouldn't fear a place like this, since he's been in worse looking buildings, but given the circumstances, yeah, he was a bit terrified. ' _Stop_!' he commanded his body, afraid to speak aloud in case someone was hiding in the shadows. It felt like his legs was dragging him on forever but then they stopped along with whatever it was that pulled his body against his will.

Being back in control, Hiro just wanted to run out that place, but now it was him that glued himself in place. In front of him was stands with white curtains and machines behind them, working on something. It reminded the kid a bit of ET; the scene where the scientists were examining the alien and the little boy. Except, as this young boy walked closer, he realized what those machines were working on.

To his horror, Hiro watched billions of his microbots be mass produced. Looking around, he found that this wasn't the first batch either; buckets were filled with his invention.

"Who would…how?" The bots were destroyed in the fire – Hiro remembered – everything was destroyed. "They found them burnt and in ruins."

A man watched him from the shadows, observing the curious boy that interrupted his work. He's been expecting the child for weeks, but the virus worked slower than he thought. Even now, the professor saw that Hiro still had majority of control over his body. It made the grown man impatient and he debated on his plan to wait for the virus to take its course.

But why wait?

' _The kid is right here, alone and unarmed._ ' It was a perfect moment to do anything and no one would hear or witness what the professor planned to do. With that in mind, Callaghan dived for the opportunity. Silently placing on a mask, the elder man crept up behind the boy while summoning some of the microbots as well.

At first, Hiro thought that it started raining outside, hearing thousands of pitter-patter but a chill ran down his spine as the sound got closer. Listening to his gut, he spun around to see the menacing figure in black coming at him.

The masked man stopped for a second, caught by Hiro's widening eyes. Part of him questioned his plans, but he reminded himself that Hiro wasn't human. He was a robot, a tool he needed…his own mind won't stand in the way of that.

Hiro managed to dodge the bots, the man threw his way. He felt the microbots grab at him but he didn't stay around to question that. He just ran, dodging the attacks along the way. He didn't know how he got out and onto the street, but It was a miracle he did. The running didn't stop there though.

Hiro ran, not caring to look back or stop until he made it to the main roads. It was morning by then and people were starting to come out their houses. That meant safety and when Hiro did look back, the masked man was gone.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hiro tackled his next issue: telling someone about the night. He couldn't go to the police; they wouldn't believe his story and with the arrests he's had, they'll most likely call his aunt. That's not something he wanted. The best choice was Tadashi.

Tadashi knew him better than anyone, so the young brother felt safe going to him about what he's been through. With one last sigh, the boy made his way home.


	5. Who to trust?

**Chapter 5: Who to trust?**

 _ **Hey guys. I just want to apologize for the long wait you guys have to go through for this story. It's been pretty busy with work and my sister just got married (praise God almighty! It's been eight whole years she and her fiance been together - bout time they got hitched!) Please enjoy the chapter and God bless you all so much!**_

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Tadashi was at his wits end as he ran around the apartment, searching around for his brother. Once he got released from the hospital, Hiro began telling him all about his 'sleepwalking.' At first, the older Hamada didn't believe Hiro until, one night, he caught his brother walking out the room. He thought it was Hiro's usual sneaking out to go bot fighting but when he tried to stop him, Tadashi noticed the kid's eyes were dulled and unresponsive.

These glitches told the older boy that something was wrong with Hiro's system and he wanted to fix it, but that was difficult due to their situation, and the night glitches added to that.

However, now it was out of control.

Tadashi scolded himself for letting things get like this. "Maybe it was the fire that glitched him?" he murmured as he searched the garage for his brother. "Once I find that kid, I'm going to be sure to fix this." But how was he was going to do that without alerting the lad?

There wasn't time to figure out a solution when he heard his brother yelling for him. Rushing back into the apartment, the two knocked into each other. Unbothered by the crash, Hiro talked away about the masked man, rushing through every detail he could recall.

Not once did he pause.

Tadashi couldn't keep up with the boy's maddening pace. In an effort to calm the kid, the older brother placed a hand on the younger's shoulder and covered the other's mouth with the other. "Breathe, Hiro." He calmly urged before making the kid start over. "What was that again?"

Tadashi couldn't remember the last time Hiro gave him a hysteric look. Slower than before, Hiro told his brother everything that happened that night. Tadashi listened and silently wondered if what Hiro experienced was true or just those glitches getting worse. He believed it was the latter once Hiro told him about the 'dream' of them being kids. That was a memory Tadashi covered when he was coding Hiro's body…and it was a memory that Tadashi took great lengths to block out.

If Hiro was remembering things like that, then Tadashi believed his work was coming undone. As calm as he could, the older patted the younger's head. "That sounds like a wild dream you had, Hiro. Your sleepwalking's getting out of control but thank God that you're home again."

"It wasn't a dream!" the younger one protested. Shoving off Tadashi's hand, Hiro stated, "There's a psycho out there producing countless microbots. He attacked me!" Hiro was growing sick of that familiar smile his brother threw his way. It was the usually patient kind, but now he could see in the other's eyes that he was being taken seriously. "I was fully awake, Dashi." It was a pitiful plea but Hiro wanted his older brother to believe him. He didn't want the other one to look down on him as if he was a crazy person.

It was bad enough that he felt crazy himself.

Also, he wanted to find out WHY that masked man had his invention and what he planned to do with it. All Tadashi wanted however, was to fix his brother, and to block out those memories again.

'Along with those hallucinations.' He thought. "So, what do you want to do about it?" He questioned, playing along in hopes of softening his brother's anger.

There was no reply.  
What could Hiro do?

He was a kid and it didn't matter how smart he was, kids don't get taken serious by adults. Hiro wacked his brain but nothing came up except for, "Stop the masked man." It was something, Hiro concluded, even if that something was grasping at any straws could. "We can catch the man and take back my microbots."

The look on Tadashi's face told him that the older one wasn't buying it but hearing his brother's words had the same impact the dream Tadashi's word had on him.

"Hiro, you're talking irrational right now." Those weren't the same words as in the dream, but they hurt nevertheless. In Hiro's mind, Tadashi wore the same, raged expression as the Dashi in the nightmare. They both wanted Hiro to but out of something…to stop being him.

It stung but unlike the toddler Hiro, the teenager prodigy didn't cry or beg or look down in pain. No, Hiro wouldn't allow that.

So he got angry.

"I'll get out of your life then, since I'm being crazy!" Red faced, Hiro stomped off, not bothering to listen to whatever Tadashi would say. His brother didn't believe him so what use would it be to convince Tadashi otherwise.

'There is no point.'

Maybe that was where the wedge started, coming between the brothers like a thin veil…Hiro wasn't sure at that moment. What he became sure of was that argument wasn't even the tip of the iceberg that sprang up in their lives.

That dream opened Hiro's eyes in a way. It made the boy more observant of his brother, caused him to watch the older teen's movement and, especially, his facial reactions.

Tadashi smiled – that wasn't anything new – but there were moments when that smile became more…fake. It appeared to Hiro more that the smile was some sort of mask; something that Dashi mastered, and it was almost always aimed at him. There's been another thing, Hiro noticed that made him almost scared to sleep.

His brother always watched him.

Maybe he couldn't complain about that, since Hiro began watching the older one first, so he thought, but that changed once he noticed how his brother always eyed him in old photos along the staircase. It was apparent that his brother always kept his eyes on him, with his mask in place, and an unreadable shine in his eyes.

His whole life, Hiro had no friends. Tadashi was his only friend that he felt comfortable to go to and talk with but that all changed and it left the lad feel alone. There was no body to talk to about the things he was finding out and even though he now had friend at college, the gang were Dashi's friends first so they couldn't be trusted.

After some time, Hiro began thinking that maybe he was crazy.

A part of him actually hoped he was crazy, but he couldn't be because he knew what he saw that night the masked man chased him, just like he knew what he saw in Tadashi's hand one night.

Hiro had jolted awake again but this time, it wasn't due to the sleepwalking. His mind kept racing, unable to shut down as dreams of lights and fights bombarded his brain. Then he had a dream of the masked man coming into the room from the window. The man crept in, slow, and reaching for him, wanting to take him away…then Hiro woke up, paranoid.

The masked man wasn't in the room, looming over him, reaching for him…but his brother was. Hiro wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, he was screaming or talking in his sleep like Tadashi claimed, he couldn't. He didn't feel safe with his brother soothing tones, not with the screwdriver the older boy held in his hand. Tadashi tried to keep it out of sight but Hiro saw and a genuine fear of his own brother struck his heart.

It was too scary to imagine what Tadashi was going to use that tool for and the wedge became bigger.

As much as Hiro could, he avoided his brother; helping his aunt serve customers and being around as much people in school as he could. His and Dashi's friend noticed this but whenever they asked the boy if something was wrong, Hiro dismissed them. The excuse was that Hiro had lots of work to do…with some other kids in his classes.

He knew the lie wasn't meant to last, but it brought some peace for the time being. It gave him some hours to sneak away to a place where he could be alone. A place where his brother couldn't find him and where he could brainstorm on some ideas to take down the masked man.

"Still no good." He huffed. The lad had drawn up various inventions that can take down a villain. They were based on the gang's personal inventions and he may have designed one based on Fred's fantasy to become a fire breathing dragon, but there was still one problem.

Hiro couldn't do this alone.

No matter what angle he looked at, fighting the man alone, wouldn't work. The man could control microbots and command them to do various jobs at once. "I need some people." But there was no one. Honey lemon, Go go, Wasabi…the only one Hiro could see believing him was Fred. "But what good can that do?" Shaking his head in defeat, the prodigy slouched, staring at his blueprints. "Maybe I should just fight bots with bots?"

He paused, his words ringing in his ears. 'That's it.' Lifting his head, he hastily got out a blank piece of paper. Sketching really fast, Hiro quietly cheered, "If I can't get people to help me, maybe I can get a bot to." Finished, Hiro took a moment to admire the designs he would soon make for the type of robot he had in mind. "Baymax."

Entering his last class of the day, Hiro felt lighter, and more able to breath now that he had a plan. He wanted the class to end as soon as possible so he could go home and get started on his projects – maybe even lock himself in the garage for the night. What made him happier was that Tadashi didn't share the same class as him at the end of the day. Hiro could enjoy this class that professor Callaghan taught and then rush home before his brother could find him.

It was a win – win.  
Unfortunately those wins weren't in his favor.

Callaghan was also glad that the class he taught was the last one of the day and what made it sweeter was having the young Hamada there. Since the failed kidnapping, the elder man been pacing, keeping some tabs on the boy. It upset him to have failed capturing the bot but that didn't stop him from looking for future opportunities and it paid off.

The opportunity presented itself in a nice package of the Hamada's separation. Callaghan noticed that the brother who once were joined at the hips have become distance. Hiro's been off by himself, looking down, and stand offish from the rest of the world.

It gave the teacher the chance to be a good ear to talk to.  
So that's what Callaghan did.

After class, when Hiro packed his bag to leave, Callaghan called him over. "I noticed you've been quite distracted, Hiro." He stated in a loving tone, much like a parent. He could see the boy's unease – the way Hiro eyed the halls with longing. The boy looked scared and Callaghan feared that perhaps the child figured out who he was.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, professor." It wasn't a lie but it wasn't a good excuse either, especially since Hiro didn't feel tired.

The old man nodded but beckoned the child to his office. "You can leave your bag here, we won't take long." He stated as he guided the boy out the classroom.

Once in the office, Callaghan closed his door before sitting at his desk. Hiro took the seat in front of the teacher and waited for the man to say something while he tried to think of a good excuse to get out of this predicament.

"So how are you enjoying college?" The conversation started light.

"It's been good."

"You're enjoying the classes?" Hiro nodded, anxious to get this over with. Not wanting to waste any time either, Callaghan took the dive. "You mentioned that you've been having trouble sleeping. Is there anything on your mind that may be causing that?" There were no answer.

On one hand, Hiro needed someone to talk to about his falling life and Callaghan was a good man, Hiro believed. He was the type of man who put things in perspective for Hiro and would patiently listen to the boy. Maybe it would be alright to tell Callaghan?

'Everyone would believe him.' It was a bitter thought but then he hoped 'or maybe Callaghan can help me with the plan. With his brilliance and the upgrade I'll give Baymax, this could actually work.' Then he wouldn't have to watch his back every ten seconds… the only problem left would be his brother.

He huffed, 'I'll deal with that hurdle once I cross this one.'

"Professor, how far can someone push the boundaries of robotics?" The old man blinked but gave away no emotions. Hiro, on the other hand, couldn't contain his expressions like the older one. He needed to know if he could trust the professor or not. Scratching the back of his head, the Asian boy quickly played it off as a hypothetical question. "Let's say someone made an advance robot but then it gets stolen by some ominous thief who hides his identity. You can go to the police because they won't believe and no one else would…how would you stop the man, if you could?"

His heart felt as if It was going up his throat. Hiro tasted the fear of the man not believing him; of being in this alone for good. The anxiety was so bad, he couldn't bring himself to look at the teacher. 'Maybe I should just go…'

That wasn't an option. "You know, Hiro, you remind me of my daughter." Chuckled the professor. "aside from bot fighting, my daughter also asked me a very similar question." He scratched his head, feigning a thoughtful look. He knew well how far robotics could be pushed; he's seen them pushed to a limit that stole everything from him.

"What did you tell her?" Pushing down the resentful memories, Callaghan answered the boy. He didn't bother to disguise the dark grimace. "I believe robotics can be pushed to whatever lengths a person takes them." As silent as he could manage, Callaghan took out a remote looking gadget from his pocket. As he tinkered with some buttons, he continued his charade. "However, it sounds like you believe someone is taking things too far."

"Well…" it was hesitant. "I kind of experienced a man using my microbots to attack me recently." He couldn't take it any longer. Once the top got out, everything gushed out of Hiro.

He spilled everything about the attack and about his fears at home with his brother. It was good to let it out – Hiro was close to the brink of insanity if this did not release itself. It was sad, however, that Hiro chose the wrong person to trust. He chose the wrong person to ask for help, not knowing how much it will cost in the end.

Callaghan was glad Hiro wasn't staring up to see his, all-too-pleased, sneer. He worried that the bot had figured out his plans but to hear the way he feared Tadashi – Callaghan gotten Hiro's complete trust.

Giving someone like him that kind of trust could get a person in trouble. "Just like my daughter." The sneer dropped as those words unintentionally slipped out. His mind played back the day where his own daughter had trusted someone too. She was young and wanted to help change the world. She was Callaghan's joy – he encouraged her to push the limits; to make a difference…but he didn't think she would place her trust in someone like Alister. "She trusted too easily too."

His blood boiled.  
Alister had stolen his joy.

That man abused his daughter's trust and it cost her dearly. It was because of that man; Callaghan's life was a waking nightmare. "What made it worse was that Alister never paid for what he done."

With a final flip of a switch, Callaghan's device was ready. Th world became silent as the memories overcame Callaghan. He could hear nothing as Hiro peered up at him, calling to him. Callaghan watched as confusion morphed into a terror. He saw himself lung over the desk, striking the target head on, but it shifted between the past and present.

And then it was over.  
Once more, the nightmare faded.

In its place laid Hiro, sprawled on the floor, and unable to move. If an outsider were to walk in on this, they would see a red-faced man looming over a lifeless body of a child. It was a chilling sight to behold – for someone other than the professor.

Placing the device back in his pocket, Callaghan took a few minutes calm his nerves. He counted back from ten as he breathed in, then out, before kneeling, down to the body. "Alister never paid for his crime," he repeated, staring down at unblinking eyes. Lifting the stiff humanoid up, professor Callaghan hummed, "But we're going to change that, aren't we – Hiro?"


	6. This Night

_**Hello again! Thank you all who have stuck around and put up with me. This is a head's up. As you will see, I switched the POV to first person. Third person is great for seeing the big picture but it was frustrating me. I'm the kind of girl that, when I read something, I want to feel connected to the characters in some way. So when I write, I prefer first person because then the story comes alive to me and I can work on the character's development. It may seem weird but it's my process and I would like your guys feedback on how you like this story.**_

 _ **If you guys would like me to rewrite the previous chapters in first person, since now I'm going to be writing in first person, or if you guys are ok with leaving the chapters as it is. Please let me know in the comments and God bless you all and please, enjoy the chapter!**_

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 **Chapter 6: This night.**

I waited for my brother to come out of the school. Knowing Hiro, he'll make a dash for home in order to lock himself in that garage again. I can't allow that, so once my class was over, I dashed out to the entrance that faced the direction of our home.

Here, I've been loitering.  
Yet, still no Hiro.

In the first hour, I felt smug as I watched students walk out the school, imagining my brother's surprise when he'll see me. I went over the plan in my mind as I reached into my pocket for the deactivator. I was going to use this device to shut him down temporarily so I can work out those glitches. As I stood, waiting, I imagined how better things will be between us. With the memories of the past becoming a faded nightmare, we could go back to being brothers.

So I hoped but Hiro never came out the institution.

The student body began to diminish, except for some staying overnight to work on their personal projects. Looking up at the sky, the stars were playing peek-a-boo in anticipation for night to settle. It was late now and I feared that maybe Hiro thought of my plan before I did. Needless to say: my patience with this boy snapped.

"He is SO grounded when this is all over." He may not remember why he'll be grounded but his butt is grounded, I thought stomping back to the school. Despite my blood pressure skyrocketing, I managed to paste on my usual smile when Honey Lemon bumped into me.

"Who's getting grounded?" Honey lemon was rolling another chemical ball - trying her best to perfect her invention. She was one of my best friends and an amazing scientist, but sometimes I wished the tall girl wasn't so concern for everybody. It wasn't a bad quality - in fact, it's something I like about her - but the thing about Honey that makes her dangerous to be around is that not only does she care too much, but she's also very observant.

Out of all our friends, she's the one that's been with me since high school. She knows me best, yet not completely and I plan to keep it that. Still, there were times where she's been close to figuring me out. Since Hiro started avoiding us, she's been worried about him too and had too many questions about my brother that I wanted to avoid her too. It'll never cease to amaze me how I manage to hide from her these past years.

"Hiro's getting grounded." Keeping it short, I added, "We've been having a little argument, Honey, and today, he's been running from me so excuse me."

Walking past her, I was confident that the conversation was over and that I avoided her nose once more. However, I paused, when my dear friend commented, "It's sweet Tadashi, seeing how good you are to Hiro. You're always looking out for him." With that, she continued rolling her giant black ball to the lab, leaving me flushed with emotions I didn't want to deal with.

Those words hit me like a soccer ball I never saw coming. 'I'm not a good brother', I believed because if I were a good brother, then Hiro wouldn't have gone through that accident. He wouldn't be in that hospital right now, laying on that bed, connected to so many machines like some experiment! If I were a good brother, even just a bit, then my little brother would know that I love him. It would have been the last thing he would have heard me say.

Honey Lemon didn't know that...she only sees what I try to be so what could I say besides – "Thanks, Honey."

I continued my search, opting to check Hiro's last class but it was empty. The lights were out but before I turned to leave, my brother's bag caught my eye. The bag laid neatly on the teacher's desk. Grabbing the thing, I opened it, making sure it was my brother's. With no one around, I dropped my smile at the contexts I found. "Hiro is being ridiculous." My blood boiled as I looked through the blueprints he made, especially the upgrades he wanted to give Baymax. "He's grounded for the rest of his life."

He wasn't in the bathroom, nor have anyone seen him or said he was apart of any group projects. My last hope was professor Callaghan since he taught Hiro's last class. I ran, praying that he was still in the school and that he knew something about my brother's whereabouts. Approaching said professor's office, I heard him working on something inside. The low sound of a drill greeted me as I stood in the halls, catching my breath.

It wasn't an unusual thing to come across the professor working on inventions in the privacy of his office. He's an inventor still, so it was normal to hear the sounds of drills or banging of a hammer. Whenever we students hear the sound of a tool in use, we knew immediately that the door would be locked.

"Professor." I yelled out, banging on the door.

The drill stopped and after some shuffling, professor Callaghan opened the door slightly. He didn't invite me inside, but I didn't mind that. He was a very private man and plus, there was no time to waste. "Hamada." He greeted in his usual kind way. "Are you burning the midnight oil today?"

Shaking my head, I held my brother's backpack up. "I'm looking for Hiro actually. He never came out of school."

"I see." He breathed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Nodding in agreement, I asked him if he knew where my brother was. "I can't find him anywhere. Did he leave the class after it ended?"

"No." He shook his head, explaining. "Truth be told, Hamada, your brother was acting off today...he looked terrified as well. He spent the period flinching at the slightest thing and looking everywhere but the lesson. It was unsettling but when I asked if he would like to talk about it with me, he declined. He only asked if he could stay in the class for a few more minutes, so I let him."

"This doesn't make sense." I breathed, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.

"I'm sorry." The professor started but I shook my head.

"It's not your fault, professor." Because, really, what could he do? "It's not like you could force him leave." That wasn't this school's policy. Students could stay until midnight, especially if they had projects to work on. Besides, Callaghan wasn't the type to force a student to do anything. The man was a saint in its finest. Hopelessly, I walked back. "Thanks professor, I'll try looking around again."

"I hope you find him, Hamada and please contact me if you need anything, ok?" I nodded, thanking my professor once again.

I checked the school one last time but still ended up with nothing. By the time I left, fear draped over me, and I found myself thinking the worse had happened. What if my brother's glitches got worse and he's walking around the city again? What if he decided to run away or maybe…taking out the blueprints, I gulped. The knot in my stomach tightened, making me want to throw up. "…Maybe Hiro wasn't hallucinating the man." What if he went looking for that man...or that man got to him.

All the lights in the sky of Sanfrantokyo couldn't ward of the darkness sinking in me.

My heart dropped.  
I failed Hiro again and now he's missing.

He came to me for help but I didn't believe him.  
I believed it was those darn glitches messing with his mind.

I basically told him he was crazy!

"If I had listen to him – maybe if I had helped him or just…" None of this would be happening if I had heard him out. Hiro and I would have never fought or drifted and everything could have…I sighed in frustration. "How am I going to fix this?" I let him down.

I banged my head with my hands, looking for a new angle – any angle really. Glancing once more at my brother's bag, my sunken heart leapt as my brother's idea whispered in my ear. _"Catch the masked man."_

"How are we to do that?" I asked with no reply. Shaking my head, I pulled out his blueprints again. As always, my brother's ideas were nothing short of genius. He was inventive…taking the problems my friends had with their inventions and finding the solutions seamlessly. That was something I always envied about him. Rereading the upgrades for Baymax, I found my anger shifting to thankfulness.

This was my answer.

I can use Baymax, and with an upgraded scanner – widening it to scan the city - I can track Hiro's brainwaves like that and pinpoint his location! "This can work!" Not wasting anymore time, I grabbed my moped, and sped home. Once there, I pulled a Hiro, and locked myself in the garage. Baymax sat in the corner, charging in his case. This morning, I placed him here because Hiro began locking himself in the garage at nights. I trusted my robot to keep an eye on the boy and to stop him if he sleptwalk again.

Also my backup plan for fixing Hiro was Baymax using his defibrillators to temporarily shock his system, which would have given me enough time to shut him down and fix him. Let's not talk about that plan...that's why it turned into a backup plan in the first place.

"Ouch." I said, activating him. We gone through the usual procedures before I logged into the computer we had, and I got to work on the plans Hiro drew. I felt a bit silly downloading a martial arts video to a disk but if it works, then I won't complain. "Baymax." I called him over as the upgrade finished loading.

"Your blood levels are slightly elevated." Baymax stated, watching me curiously. "My scans suggest you are more stressed than before."

"I'm fine, Baymax." This wasn't my first time telling my creation that. Since I got him to work, Baymax been telling me my stress levels were abnormal and they've been times were I had to stop my robot from dialing my friends about it. He thinks a 'group support' was the best treatment for me but it wasn't. My friends couldn't know about Hiro.

No one can.

Quickly I made some armor for my bot – it wasn't as high tech as I would like but it would protect Baymax from any serious damage.

As the armor was being made, I took out the finished disk from the computer. "What are you doing?" He asked as I opened up his memory case.

"I'm giving you an upgrade." As it opened, my medical disk sat proudly, and I debated with myself to remove it. Baymax was made to help people, not harm them - people needed Baymax. Billions of people get hurt in this world and the death count rises each year, which is why I built Baymax in the first place. I want to bring those numbers down and save as many families as possible but this was my brother on the line too. If I don't save him, he'll never wake up. If I don't get his body back, then that meant I would have to watch the doctors pull the plug. My brother would die...that body I made is the thing that's keeping him alive.

With that, I placed the new disk beside my medical one.  
Just until I get Hiro back, I promised myself.

The moment my brother is back with me and this masked man is brought to justice, I'll reset Baymax. Upon placing the new upgrade, Baymax took mere seconds absorbing the information before questioning why I gave him fighting ability. "I was not designed to cause harm to others." He reminded me.

"I know, Baymax." I assured, tired. "But we're going to need it. Hiro's in trouble."

"Will the 'martial arts' help Hiro?"

I nodded. "Yes, it will and as far as I'm concerned, Baymax, your mission from now on is to protect Hiro." I stressed the last. "Hiro is your priority now, got it?" I need my brother to be ok. I need to fix what I broke.

"I understand." I sighed, relieved that I wouldn't have to fight more than one thing tonight.

I placed the armor on Baymax, then began adjusting his scans which took the longest. Eventually everything got done and now it was time for the biggest challenge: locating Hiro. "How will we do this?" I murmured, scratching my head. We can scan farther now but how are we going to get enough height for that? We can't walk around the city to scan various areas one by one, it'll take forever. My head felt light and the gloom in my heart became heavier with this snag in the road. "Maybe we can try scanning from the roof?" It was high enough - we can get a good range from there.

"My diagnosis states that you have 'emotional trauma'." Baymax startled me with a hug. "Research suggests a hug can help elevate your 'emotional turmoil' along with therapy and close friends." Oh no. "Contacting list of 'friends."

Not again. "Baymax – no!"

It was too late. "Message sent."

"Unbelievable." Who knew my robot would turn out so stubborn.

Immediately, my friends called – their faces popping up on Baymax's stomach. "What's wrong." Honey Lemon (of course) said first. "We got Baymax's message. He said you and Hiro were in trouble."

"Tadashi has 'emotional trauma.'" I cut him off.

"Things are fine." I covered up but it didn't deter my friends from demanding an answer. So I had to come clean about this situation – but I kept the rest of my secret just that: a secret. "Hiro's missing and I'm trying to find him."

"We'll be there shortly." They gave me no time to persuade them not to come when they hung up. I huffed, feeling more tired than before.

"Looks like this will be some night." I whispered, not looking forward to my friends arriving. "Come on buddy, let's start scanning the city." I pulled the now, poorly armored Baymax into the house, and lead him to the roof of the building. Aunt Cass was in the living room, watching some horror movie, unaware of what I gotten myself into. On the roof, Baymax scanned as much region as he could but we still weren't high enough to get the whole city. I made him try different directions, desperate for anything to pop up - I'll take straws at this point.

"Brainwave detected." My bot pointed, "There's an interference but my scans detect 'fear' and 'confusion' coming from that direction."

Following where he pointed at, I could barely make out the thin outline of the ocean. Despite the poor vision, I knew where Baymax was pointing - it was the Sanfrantokyo docks where the boats loaded and unloaded freight carts. At that moment, my phone went off.

"We're outside." It was Honey.

Not taking my eyes away from the direction of the docks, I nodded, not caring that my friend couldn't see me. "On my way down, I located Hiro." Hanging up, I took Baymax's arm, and pulled him downstairs with me. This was it...I'm going to fix this and this night will be like my past; a faded memory.


	7. I'm Not Giving Up On You

_**Hello again.  
** **Back with another update, trying to move this story along.**_

 ** _God bless you all and please, enjoy._**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: I'm not giving up on you.**

Before getting in the car (or on top in Baymax's case) I ordered the bot to not mention anything about Hiro. His job was to lead us to the destination and get my brother back. Thankfully, that's what Baymax did, directing my friends to the place where Hiro's signal was last felt.

As we approached the towers of crates sitting around the docks, I had wasabi turn off his headlights. Having my friends here in the first place was risky enough. "Stay here," I whispered, motioning for Baymax to follow.

"What's going on." Honey pleaded on behalf of everyone. They knew me as the type to explain everything but that's just the mask I kept on. I couldn't let them get involved anymore than this and I hope they would understand that.

"You guys better go." I ignored them after that as I ran into the maze of freights, keeping my eyes peeled for anything suspicious. Baymax stayed close behind but didn't know how to keep his voice down much. "I'm going to need to adjust that after this is all over." I whispered to myself.

So much for stealth mode.

The place was dead. No workers were here and neither were there any security guards. It's like this region was blocked off and everyone on this part of town got that memo. A part of me kept picturing the movie 'Left Behind' as I made my way through, looking for my brother. As I was close to giving up on this place, thinking that maybe I messed up on Baymax's scanner, when I saw movement in the distance.

The city's fog hovered over the ocean, keeping the boats from being scene. Inside the murky clouds, however, I saw a figure gliding through it with ease. The figure was being carried by my brother's micro-bots and along with him, they carried a giant piece of technology. The man had no clue I was there, watching him. Maybe I should have been afraid, but once I saw the man did exist and he stole Hiro's work, I was the opposite of afraid. For the first time since I was eight, I felt true rage rise in the canal of my chest and it spread to my veins.

This is the man that stole my brother. He took Hiro's microbots and I bet, he's also the one that burned down the auditorium as well. Another thing dawned on me. Somehow, in some way, this man is also the one behind my brother's glitches. Which meant...he met my brother at chance...and somehow saw through the work I went through to make him as realistic as possible. If that theory is correct...that means all this is planned. He planned taking my brother.

This man is going to pay.  
I promise him that.

"Ready, Baymax?" We were ready to pounce on this sicko and I couldn't wait to use the element of surprise to bash him from his blind spot. What I didn't count on was how stubborn my friends could get. Like my robot, my friends didn't listen to a word I said. They followed me into the maze, searching for me, while I kept my eyes on the man.

"Tadashi!" Lights flashed my way, putting me in plain view. My heart nearly exploded in fear as my friends got out the car and stomped their way to me. I tried my best to get them to leave but it was futile.

"I know you're upset about Hiro." Wasabi began.

"But let us help you." Honey finished.

I wanted to facepalm. Feverishly, I shook my head, hoping and praying they'll get it through their skulls that I didn't want their help. "You all need to leave, right now." It was a whisper/scream but it was too late.

My hope of having the element of surprise slipped and before I knew it, Fred screamed, pointing behind me. Spinning around, we saw another figure. It stood on a cart by us. The figure was skinnier and smaller than the masked man – and he was covered from head to toe in midnight black armor. Unlike the man though, this figure wore a helmet over his head with tinted glass to conceal his identity.

Our eyes bulged as the figure lifted a whole freight over his head and threw it at us. Wasabi scream pierced the night. "Oh my god!" I thought we were done for, but Baymax caught the giant metal of death, giving us time to get back in the car and drive off.

I wanted to stay but my friends pulled me and stuffed in the car with them. "Let me out!" I demanded. "Baymax had them!" But that wasn't reassuring when the younger figure kicked Baymax into the roof of the car. Looking up, we saw billions of microbots grouping together with the masked man at the center. He used the bots to lift his accomplice as well, throwing them at us.

"Drive, drive, drive!" Which wasabi did, getting us out of being pummeled in time. I looked through the side mirror. The accomplice got up from the ground but he didn't pursue us. Instead, the masked man lifted him with the bots again, this time carrying him as he chased us.

"Who was that?!" Honey lemon yelped. "Did you see that kid?!"

"That was no kid!" Wasabi screeched, paranoid, yet obeying the laws of the road still – to gogo's dismay. "Nobody could lift that giant freight like that! He just threw it as if it was a toy! Like a lego or something!"

Although I couldn't see the face under that helmet, I knew who it was. It didn't take much for me to figure it out. Like Wasabi stated: a kid couldn't lift heavy metal like it was nothing. A kid couldn't kick a robot like Baymax, whose ectoskeleton is titanium, into a car and dent it.

What did that man do to you, Hiro?

"Did you just signal your turn?!" Gogo's scream brought me back to the situation at hand. We were still being chased by the 'super villain' as Fred called him. He's too happy for a situation like this, rambling on about how 'cool' it is being chased by some psycho with a mask.

"It's the law!" That was the last straw for Gogo. She had it with Wasabi's 'ocd'.

"That's it." Being a speed junkie, Gogo knew how to race, drift, and basically maneuver the car in ways we only see in theaters. Pushing Wasabi back, she got on his lap and took control of the vehicle. All of us got pushed back from the speed she decided to go. It was scarier than the masked man and that is no joke.

The man blocked us but Gogo did a sharp turn, drifting over the bots and onto a street on the bridge. "Let Baymax fight!" I urged, searching for any opportunity to get my brother back. What we didn't know was that as Gogo dodged the man again, this time drifting over some train tracks – Hiro managed to attach himself under the car. Slowly he climbed until he was under me, then like a wrapper, he broke my door off, and yanked me down.

My face would have contacted the cement if Baymax had not grabbed my mind-controlled brother. While keeping a hold on Hiro, Baymax pulled me up and sat me back in the moving car. "Seatbelt saves lives. Be sure to buckle up." He stated, buckling me up and patting my head. I would have cheered for joy over the fact that my bot got Hiro back but 1) I was shaken by the near death and 2) said brother kicked Baymax in his face.

The impact forced my robot to release him, thus losing any chance of retrieving him and turning him to normal. The seatbelt held me back from jumping after Hiro as he fell into a moving train and out the other side. I feared he was done for but the masked man caught him before he hit the main road. At that moment, we made eye contact. Even though the train prevented the man from chasing us again – it didn't stop the microbots from gathering under us and lifting us up from the ground.

Gogo continued speeding, doing her best to beat the bots from closing in on us. "We're going to make it!" Honey chanted.

"We're not gonna make it!" Wasabi feared.

The smaller the opening became, the louder Honey and Wasabi fought over if we'll live or die. Luckily, Honey was right. We did make it out of the tunnel of doom and into the ocean. As we sank to the watery floor, I realized too late that my seatbelt was faulty. It was jammed and refused to let me go.

Luckily for me, Baymax was clever. He took off the armor that weighed him down and managed to break the seatbelt. Grabbing us in his squishy arms, he did what he was designed to do: his marshmallow features lifted us up and out of a watery grave.

"I told you we'll make it!" cheered Honey and for the first time in my life – I wished she wasn't so cheery.

"Where do we go now?" Wasabi asked. He was the one most shaken by this night…at least he looked like the one most shaken. I stopped listening though as my eyes flew back to the boardwalk.

The masked man stood there watching us along with my brother that he stole. It occurred to me as I watch the unknown man pat my brother's head that if he really wanted it, he could have killed us. The man had billions of bots under his control. He could command them however he wanted and at the same time. We should be dead but we're not. We made it...shaken up but alive and unscratched.

He could have easily killed us tonight. Even right now, it'll be easy to just finish us - to drown us.  
Yet he's watching us.

It wasn't his intention to spill blood.  
This was a warning: back off or next time we won't be so lucky. He'll kill us next time and he will use my brother to do it.

Shifting my gaze to the boy I once knew, part of me wondered how much of Hiro was still there. Did the man change everything? Is Hiro still there subconsciously, fighting to come back? Does he know what the man is using him for? That he's not in control anymore? Is my brother suffering or scared? Does he blame me for this like he would for the accident?

I'll make this right. Glaring at the man, I promised myself that I'll get my brother back. I'll stop the masked man and save my brother. Promise. "I'm not giving up on you."

For a moment I thought that perhaps my whisper floated across the water and reached my brother. His covered head twitched as those veiled eyes met mine. I felt my body be pulled out the ocean but even then I didn't break contact. I needed Hiro to know that I didn't mean for this to happen to him. That I'm sorry I didn't believe him...that I won't stop until he's back home, safe. I'll make this nightmare go away and Hiro's world will be as good as new. He was the one to look away first. The man picked them up and together, they disappeared in the thickening fog.

"Dashi?" Honey touched my cheek. Coming back to my surroundings, Honey helped me up, concern laced her voice. "Fred's taking us to a place we can dry off. Come on," I was thankful she didn't ask me what was wrong. Then again, how can anything be right with the night we had? I allowed her to take my hand and lead me towards the others – each of them trying to make sense of what they were dragged into.


End file.
